Unlearning School to Learn Life: Why Our Education System Is Failing Young Minds

Unlearning School to Learn Life: Why Our Education System Is Failing Young Minds

Student writer Imrana explains the pitfalls in India’s school education system and suggests remedies to improve the employability of students in the job market.

By Imrana

I want to start with a question: what do you learn in school that you actually use in life?

If you’re like most people, your answer might be… not much. And that’s the problem.

When I wrote about unemployment earlier, I connected big numbers—like a 4.2% jobless rate—to real stories. Now, I want to do the same for education. It’s easy to say “kids study too much,” but harder—and more important—to ask: what are they learning? And does it set them up for real life?

The Facts Behind the Figures

India’s school system is full of impressive stats: high enrolment, peak attendance, spot-on exams. But that’s where the shine ends. A recent study shows over 80% of young people under 30 are unemployed—even when they have degrees. That’s not just a coincidence. It’s a sign.

What do employers complain about? No soft skills. No problem-solving. No ability to talk with people. Yet, schools still make students recite the Russian Revolution or force them into quadratic equations that none of them will ever use again.

Why School Isn’t Working

There are three big reasons:

1. Learning by rote—no real understanding

Students memorise facts and forget them. They treat learning like a video game grind—collect the tokens, pass the exam, move on. But nothing sticks. No connection to real-world problems.

2. Classrooms that act like prisons

Kids spend eight hours in school, then more time in tuitions, homework, and exams. Where is the space to explore, rest, or think? The experience often feels like punishment.

3. Teachers aren’t trained for modern times

In many schools, teachers themselves are under-supported. They teach from rigid syllabi, follow outdated methods, and often supplement their income through private tuitions. But these aren’t schools—they’re shadow factories.

What Education Should Do

The goal isn’t to ditch exams or dismiss books. It’s to make learning meaningful. To connect school with earning a living.

At the heart of the problem: we still treat education as an endgame instead of the start. Students see school merely as a step to college—and then another step to uncertain jobs.

A Fresh Model: School for Life

Let’s imagine a better design:

Years 1–5: Foundations in language, maths, basic computers, life skills, and health. Think: how to manage money, how to cook, how to talk, how to care for yourself.

Years 6–10: Students pick a track: STEM, humanities, commerce, or emerging fields like AI, climate science, journalism.

Years 11–12: Combine theory with practice—projects, internships, real-life learning.

After Class 12: Instead of another degree, spend two years learning on the job—an apprenticeship or vocational programme that leads directly to employment.

This isn’t far-fetched. Many European countries run similar systems. They don’t produce “educated unemployeds.” They produce capable, working young adults.

Imrana’s Insight Podcast on Education Reforms

What Would Change?

Remove irrelevant content – Drop what doesn’t serve a purpose. Keep only what prepares young people for the world today.

Train teachers differently – Invest in modern, well-paid teacher training focusing on practical teaching, project work, and mentorship.

Ban extra tuitions – Stop treating school as a half-baked service. If lessons were strong, nobody would pay for shadow coaching.

Redirect funding – Instead of new buildings and bus fleets, spend on intelligence: curriculum experts, digital content, STEM labs, maker spaces.

But Schools Aren’t Won by Themselves

Governments won’t act unless parents demand change. In my unemployment article, I said politicians like dependent voters—they don’t like an informed electorate. Education reform isn’t just policy—it’s politics.

If schools taught kids to think, question, innovate, we’d have fewer unemployed graduates—and more responsible citizens. But it starts at home. Parents need to stop accepting “marks-only” education. They need to push schools—not just to teach more, but to teach differently.

A Call to Everyone: Learn What Matters

Education should do one thing: prepare young people for life. That means skills, yes, but also the courage to learn, adapt, and challenge.

The stats tell us the truth: theory doesn’t equal employment. Students are drowning in curriculum, not buoyed by it.

To fix this, we need to change the system—starting in the classroom, rising through policy, rooted in citizen demand.

Because the question isn’t “are they learning?” The real question is: are they learning what matters?

This consultative article has been written exclusively for RMN News by Imrana, who is a student specializing in multiple domains such as business, trade, education, technology, entertainment, and politics. She also produces Imrana’s Insight podcast program on diverse topics.

👉 You can click here to know more about Imrana’s editorial and humanitarian work.